Garment form retainers



y 8, 1963 F. Y. SHERBONDY 3,091,376

GARMENT FORM RETAINERS Filed March 27, 1961 IN VENTOR FRANK K SHERBONDY E54 BY ATTORNEYS nited States Patent 3,091,376 GARMENT FORM RETAINERS Frank Y. Sherbondy, P.0. Box 7021, San Antonio 10, Tex. Filed Mar. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 98,416 1 Claim. (Cl. 223-71) This invention relates to garment form retaining devices for use with garments having overlapping front panels. More particularly, this invention is an improvement upon the garment form retaining devices which are the subject of my United States Patents No. 2,641,390, issued June 9, 1953, and No. 2,975,948, issued March 21, 1961.

Garment form retaining devices of the types presented in the above cited patents are adapted to hold the front panels of a coat, or the like, in a position where the panels are in overlapping relation when the coat is placed on a hanger so as to prevent sagging and deformation of the coat. Such garment form retaining devices comprise an elongated flat body for insertion between the overlapping front portions of the garment, and carry thereon (a) means in the form of an elongate flap for coupling the devices with a buttonhole on one front portion of the garment, and (b) means in the form of an elongate slot having an opening therein for coupling the device with a button on the other front portion of the garment.

While the construction shown in the earliest issued of my above cited patents proved to be satisfactory and durable in operation, and While the improvement on such construction presented in the latter issued of my above cited patent-s serves to readily adapt the former structure for use with garments having various size buttonholes, I have now found that both of such prior constructions can be improved upon so as to facilitate coupling of the garment form device with the front portion of the garment having a buttonhole therein, and so as to also facilitate coupling of the form device with the front portion of the garment carrying a button thereon.

Specifically, the primary objects of the present invention are (a) to provide in a garment form retaining device which comprises an elongate relatively stiff but flexible body, an improved form of flap integrally connected therewith for positively coupling the retaining device With a buttonhole, and (b) to provide in such a garment form retaining device an improved form of button coupling means thereon which is adapted to readily receive buttons of varying sizes.

Still further, other, yet more specific objects of the present invention are (a) to provide a garment form retaining device comprising an elongate body having a flap integrally connected therewith, which flap includes a generally semi-circular base portion having wing tabs extending therefrom upwardly and outwardly on opposite sides of the connection of the flap with the body of the retaining device; (11) to provide a garment form retainer comprising an elongate body portion, preferably formed of paper, and having a button receiving opening therein spaced from the buttonhole coupling means, which button receiving opening comprises an aperture in the body of the retainer and a plurality of slits in the body of the retainer extending radially from such aperture whereby a button on the garment can be passed through the opening and placed in overlying relation to the aperture and at least a portion of each of the slits; (c) to provide an improvement in garment form retainers such as disclosed in my prior patents referred to above, which improvement comprises constructing the flap of the retainer in accordance with sub-paragraph (a) above; and (d) to provide an improvement in garment form retainers as shown in my prior patents referred to above, which improvement comprises constructing the means for coupling 3309 1,376 Patented May 28, 1963 the retainer with the button of a garment in accordance with sub-paragraph (b) above.

The invention lies in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the garment form retainer expedients which are preferably provided on a single blank of material. The invention will be better understood, and objects other than those specifically set forth above will become apparent, when consideration is given to the following detailed description of the illustrative and preferred embodiments presented in the annexed drawings, wherein FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a garment having operatively positioned thereon a garment form retainer constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the preferred form garment retaining device provided by the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of a modification of this invention comprising a retainer having a flap thereon constructed in accordance with my prior patents, and having button receiving means thereon constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is an elevational View of another modification of this invention comprising a retainer having an improved flap thereon constructed in accordance with the present invention, and having a button receiving means thereon constructed in accordance with my prior patents; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmental detailed elevational view presenting in detail the improved flap construction provided by this invention.

For purposes of simplicity, reference is first made to FIGURE 2 presenting the preferred garment form retainer provided by the present invention. In such figure the retainer is generally designated by the numeral 2 and is formed as an elongated flat body, plate or card 4 which is made of any suitable yieldable but relatively stiff material such as cardboard, flexible plastic or the like. As best shown in FIGURE 5, the body 4 is out along the line 6 to form a flap generally designated by 8, which flap comprises a generally semi-circular lower portion 10 having wing tabs 12 and 14 extending upwardly and outwardly from the lower portion 10 on opposite sides of the integral connection 16 of the flap 8 with the body 4. The flap 8 is swingable outwardly from the body 4 along the integral connection 16 which is shown in dotted lines. The tabs 12 and 14 are preferably generally rectangular in shape, but the configuration thereof may readily be altered Without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The body of the retainer 2 is also provided with two button receiving openings generally designated by the numerals 20 and 30*. Each opening comprises an aperture in the body 4 and a plurality of slits in the body 4 extending radially from the center of the aperture. The opening 20 includes the aperture 22, and the slits 24 which are cut in the body 4, and whose outer ends terminate equi-distantly from the center of the circular aperture 22. The opening 30 similarly comprises an aperture 32 and a plurality of radial slits 34 extending from the circular aperture 32 and terminating equi-distantly from the center thereof.

It will be appreciated that the cutting of the body 4 so as to provide the flap 8 constructed as described, and so as to provide the openings 20 and 30 constructed as described, can be achieved by utilizing a suitable knife die which is lowered under pressure onto a blank, or a sheet of blank material.

The embodiment of the present invention presented in FIGURE 3 is in some respects similar to the embodiment of FIGURE 2. As opposed to having the improved flap construction shown in FIGURE 2, the garment form retainer of FIGURE 3 is provided with an elongate flap 40 that is integrally connected with the body portion 4 along the connection 42. Perforations 44 extend from one end of the cut forming the flap 40 to the integral connection 42 and allow for adjustment of the length of the coupling 42 whereby the flap can be passed through various size buttonholes. This construction is explained in detail in my prior Patent No. 2,975,948. The form of FIGURE 3, however, incorporates certain improvements provided by the present invention.

More specifically, it incorporates a pair of buttonhole opening 20 and 30 which correspond exactly with the buttonhole openings 20 and 30 described in connection with the embodiment of FIGURE 2. Accordingly, repetition of the construction of these openings is believed unnecessary.

The embodiment URE 4 incorporates embodiment of FIGURE 2. which is designated by numeral 8 includes a lower semicircular portion 10 and upper wing tabs 12 and 14'. Since this construction is identical with the tab construction of FIGURE 2, there appears to be no need for repetition. The button receiving means on the retainer of FIGURE 4 comprises an elongated slit 50 having an enlarged opening 52 therein. The edges of the slit 50 are in engagement with one another, and the enlarged opening 52 is disposed intermediate the ends of the slit 50. This construction of slit and enlarged opening, and the manner in which it can be utilized is described in detail in both of my prior patents referred to hereinabove.

From the drawings, it should be apparent that the garment retainer is adapted for insertion between the overlapping front portions of a garment and that in each of the embodiments the flap is positioned inwardly of one end of the body and adapted for engagement in a buttonhole, and the button receiving opening is positioned intermediate the flap and the other end of the body and adapted to receive a button on the garment.

The manner in which the invention is applied to a garment is illustrated in FIGURE 1 wherein a typical suit coat 60 is shown having overlapping front portions 62 and 64. Buttonholes 66, 66' are disposed adjacent the longitudinal edge 68 of portion 64, and buttons 70 and 70' are attached to portion 62 adjacent the longitudinal edge 74 thereof by any suitable well-known means such as by thread or the like. Buttons 70 and 70' cooperate with buttonholes 66 and 66 respectively to secure the garment on an individual.

When the garment form retainer is used, the buttons and buttonholes do not cooperate with each other, but instead cooperate with the retainer. More specifically,

of the invention presented in FIG- the improved tab construction of the The tab of FIGURE 4 when a garment has been pressed, and it is desired to place the same on a hanger and maintain the overlapping front portions in the position shown in FIGURE 1, then the retainer is inserted under the portion 64, and over the portion 62. The tab portion of the retainer, having been bent outwardly of the body of the retainer, is passed through the buttonhole 66'. When the preferred embodiment shown in FIGURE 2 is being used, the semicircular portion 10 and projecting tabs 12 and '14 overlie the front of portion 64. The tabs 12 and 14, as should be apparent, serve to positively couple the retainer with the buttonhole 66'.

Next, assuming still that the embodiment of FIGURE 2 is being used, the button 70" is passed through either opening 20 or opening 30* on the body 4, depending on the particular garment, and the degree of overlapping desired. As shown in FIGURE 1, the button 7 0* is passed through the opening 30. This is achieved by pressing the button sidewardly between a pair of slits extending diametrically through the aperture 32. After the button has been passed through the opening 30, and released, it overlies the aperture 32, and at least a portion of each of the slits 34. It should be understood that the aperture 32 is large enough to permit readily passing a button through the opening 30, but small enough so that a button completely overlies the same. .Of course, once the button has been passed through the opening 30, or 20, the thread holding the button to the garment, or other securing means, extends through the aperture portion of the opening.

When the garment retainer is in operative position, the tab 8 is disposed in front of portion 64 of the garment, as shown. The body of the retainer is disposed between the portion 64 and the portion 62. The button 70, having been passed from the rear side of the retainer through the appropriate opening to the front side thereof, is disposed between the underside of portion 64 and the retainer body 4.

It will be noted that with the embodiment of FIGURE 2, the openings 20 and 30* are centered on a longitudinal axis of the body 4, which longitudinal axis passes substantially centrally through the flap 8. This alignment and disposition of the openings with respect to the flap results in proper aligned disposition of the lower garment edges when the retainer of FIGURE 2 is used as described above.

The embodiment of FIGURE 3 is placed in operative position in essentially the same manner as the embodiment of FIGURE 2. The tab 3 is passed through the buttonhole of the front overlapping portion of the garment. Depending on the size of the buttonhole, either no severance is made between the cut defining the flap 40 and one of the perforations 44, or severance is made between the cut and one or both of the perforations. In any event, the flap 40 is passed through the buttonhole, and thereafter the associated button is pasesd through one of the openings 20 or 30 depending on which is appropriate for the particular garment.

The embodiment of FIGURE 4 is placed in operative position in the manner described above. The only difference is that the button is passed through the enlarged opening 52, and then the button is moved either to the right or left so that the abutting edges of the slit 50 engage the thread or other securing means holding the button on the garment. With the embodiment of FIGURE 4, the button coupled with the retainer can be positioned in adjustable spaced apart relation with respect to the flap. However, with this construction, it is possible for the button securing means to move to the right or left adjacent the opening 52 whereupon a certain amount of play is permitted. With the construction presented in FIGURES 2 and 3, the button is positively positioned in one of two given spaced locations from the flap.

After considering the foregoing detailed description and the preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be apparent that the objects set forth at the outset of this specification have been successfully achieved. Accordy.

Iclaim:

A form retainer for a coat garment, said garment having overlapping front portions with at least one buttonhole on one portion, and at least one button on the other portion, said retainer comprising an elongated flat rectangular body of yieldable material for insertion between the overlapping front portions of the garment, said body being out whereby an elongate flap is coupled to said body by a connection integral with said flap and said body, said flap being swingable outwardly from said body about an axis defined by said connection, said flap being positioned inwardly of an end of said body and adapted to engagement in said buttonhole, said body also having at least two button receiving openings therein spaced longitudinally from said flap from one another, and from the ends of said body, each said opening comprising a circular aperture in said body and a series of straight slits in said body extending radially from said circular aperture and having one end opening directly into said circular aperture, said slits being equally arcuately spaced from one another around said aperture, the majority of said slits being angularly disposed to the longitudinal axis of said body, all said slits terminating at least substantially equidistantly from the center of the said circular aperture, said flap comprising a generally semi-circular lower portion and generally rectangular wing tabs extending upwardly and outwardly from said lower portion on opposite sides *of said connection, said openings being longitudinally aligned and centered on a longitudinal axis of said body passing substantially centrally through said flap.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Benedict Mar. 24, 1896 Cunningham Feb. 12, 1929 Schlitz Aug. 26, 1930 Hiatt Oct. 2, 1934 Steele Mar. 10, 1953 Richa et al. June 14, 1960' Sher-bondy Mar. 21, 196-1 

